President Barack Obama has nominated local attorney Lawrence Vilardo to become a federal court judge for the Western District of New York.Vilardo is a Buffalo native who graduated from Canisius College, then Harvard Law School. He has been a partner at Connors and Vilardo since 1986 and handles both civil and criminal matters at both the trial and appellate levels.
Vilardo declined to comment pending approval by the U.S. Senate, but his law partner Terry Connors tells WBFO Vilardo represents "the epitome of what a judge should be."
"He's talented. He's smart. He's industrious and even-tempered. He'll be an excellent addition to the bench," said Connors.
"It's a great day for Larry Vilardo and his family and it's a banner day for our office. We couldn't be prouder and we couldn't be happier for him and his family."
If confirmed, Vilardo will replace U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara who has moved to senior status.
Connors says he believes Vilardo's confirmation should be proceed smoothly since he is not a "controversial" candidate.